I am so grateful to call this city my home. Beyond all the cultural goodness, it is a city that generously allows for any diet or food lifestyle, whatever your schedule. Working late? No problem, restaurants are open until midnight, and grocery stores until 10 or 11. Can’t make the farmer’s market on the weekend? Go to one (of many) on Monday. Or Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or Thursday or Friday! Any day of the year! I do admit that this is a gigantic neon sign of epic American consumerism, and there are some fundamental problems with that. But. It happily allows for me to have a non-conventional work and life schedule, and I love that.
My mom and I had lunch yesterday at Second Helpings, the organic health-foody café in Park Slope (Brooklyn, on 9th Street at 7th Avenue). It’s not a strictly raw or vegetarian place (Mom had a chicken something sandwich that she said was delicious), but I had a gorgeous salad of greens with sprouts, tomato, cucumber, avocado and tahini dressing (note to self to ask for it without roasted red peppers next time), and a kale apple celery juice. The juice was way exciting, mostly because I’ve never been a big fan of kale, always found the flavor to be overwhelming and bitter. But it was so great in this juice, the radiant woman behind the counter put in exactly the right proportions that now I am on the quest to make my own perfect kale apple celery juice.
That quest, however, will wait a few weeks until I find my own apartment. The kitchen – or, more accurately, line of appliances in the tiny living room/dining room/bedroom – is just too small to accomodate my appliances. And I love and know my sister well enough to be aware where her boundaries are as far as filling up her limited counter space with a juicer and vitamix and dehydrater. The juicer, in particular, is a point of contention between us – when we shared an apartment, we had a giant fight one morning when I woke her up with the noise of juicing cucumbers. And all of this, and she is still so amazing to open her home to me while I look for a place of my own. So for now, it’s me, a knife and a cutting board – as well as the impossibly sexy variety of places that I can eat out in this big, bad-ass city.
Love,
Marissa
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
There's no place like home
Oh it is good to be home. Well, in the city that I call home because I don’t actually have a home – staying with my sister until I find a place. Looking forward (trying to be positive) to the challenges of being a good raw houseguest in a tiny Brooklyn studio apartment.
Yesterday’s looooooong travel day went well. I fasted on the first leg of the trip, from Brussels to Dublin, and then for about half of my 5 hour layover. Wandering around in the airport, I stumbled onto a fresh juice bar! They made juices (celery, carrot, beet, apple, orange) and smoothies (mostly with a dairy base). I was beside myself with excitement, to have a cucumber celery apple juice. But when I got to the front of the line, the woman at the counter told me that the juicer was broken, but I could have orange juice or a smoothie. Too bad, but I am so happy to see a (albeit nonfunctioning) juice bar in a airport to contribute to hydration in the air and good health! So instead, I had an apple and some raisin nut mix (charmingly called “student mix” in Europe).
Once settled into the flight, I was eager to see the raw vegetarian meal that I had requested for my infight meal. It came, with a big sticker on it that said my name and “RAW VEG”. However, on the plate was: hot lasagna (cheese, pasta, cooked tomato sauce), cold pasta salad, a roll, packet of margarine, packet of cookies, and an sad-looking fruit salad of honeydew, orange, and grapes. Sigh of disappointment. Looking back, it was the perfect opportunity to educate someone on the fundamentals of raw food and possibly help other raw foodists down the line, but at the time I just didn’t want to bother the harried-looking flight attendant. So, I’ll send an email to the airline. Not because I’m particularly angry/annoyed – I didn’t really have high hopes – but just to spread awareness that RAW food is vastly different than just veggie food.
I got back to the apartment on the late side, and my sis didn’t feel like going out for dinner. I was pretty hungry, though, and craving greens – not something that she regularly stocks in her fridge. But she mentioned a (new?) place nearby in Brooklyn Heights that her boyfriend had referred to as, “One of those places that has wheatgrass that your sister would like”. We found it on line, Siggy’s, on Henry between Orange and Pineapple. There are some really lovely salads on the menu, juices, and they delivered! Oh, the wanton luxury of NY living. I had a salad with greens, tomato, avocado and sunflower seeds with a vinagrette and a celery apple greens juice. So exactly what I was craving.
One love,
Marissa
Yesterday’s looooooong travel day went well. I fasted on the first leg of the trip, from Brussels to Dublin, and then for about half of my 5 hour layover. Wandering around in the airport, I stumbled onto a fresh juice bar! They made juices (celery, carrot, beet, apple, orange) and smoothies (mostly with a dairy base). I was beside myself with excitement, to have a cucumber celery apple juice. But when I got to the front of the line, the woman at the counter told me that the juicer was broken, but I could have orange juice or a smoothie. Too bad, but I am so happy to see a (albeit nonfunctioning) juice bar in a airport to contribute to hydration in the air and good health! So instead, I had an apple and some raisin nut mix (charmingly called “student mix” in Europe).
Once settled into the flight, I was eager to see the raw vegetarian meal that I had requested for my infight meal. It came, with a big sticker on it that said my name and “RAW VEG”. However, on the plate was: hot lasagna (cheese, pasta, cooked tomato sauce), cold pasta salad, a roll, packet of margarine, packet of cookies, and an sad-looking fruit salad of honeydew, orange, and grapes. Sigh of disappointment. Looking back, it was the perfect opportunity to educate someone on the fundamentals of raw food and possibly help other raw foodists down the line, but at the time I just didn’t want to bother the harried-looking flight attendant. So, I’ll send an email to the airline. Not because I’m particularly angry/annoyed – I didn’t really have high hopes – but just to spread awareness that RAW food is vastly different than just veggie food.
I got back to the apartment on the late side, and my sis didn’t feel like going out for dinner. I was pretty hungry, though, and craving greens – not something that she regularly stocks in her fridge. But she mentioned a (new?) place nearby in Brooklyn Heights that her boyfriend had referred to as, “One of those places that has wheatgrass that your sister would like”. We found it on line, Siggy’s, on Henry between Orange and Pineapple. There are some really lovely salads on the menu, juices, and they delivered! Oh, the wanton luxury of NY living. I had a salad with greens, tomato, avocado and sunflower seeds with a vinagrette and a celery apple greens juice. So exactly what I was craving.
One love,
Marissa
Monday, November 12, 2007
New food!
These past 5 months, I’ve been enjoying fruits and vegetables here that I had never experienced before. It’s entirely probable that my eyes are open in a different way these days and all of this is easily available at the same time of year in NY, but I am just loving “discovering” these new foods of the earth:
Fennel – I know that this is readily available in NY, but maybe not so common. In Brussels (and France when I’ve been there in the past) it’s all over the place. Steamed, roasted whole, and my favorite - shredded onto salads. It’s been described as kind of licorice-y, but is also sweet and light and crispy.
Kohlrabi – Part of the cabbage family, if you haven’t seen it before. I can get it at the food coop in Park Slope at home, but never have. To me, it always looked like a hard, dirty root vegetable, and I imagined it tasting kind of dull. However, at the farmers market in the courtyard of the Theatre de la Monnaie (Place de le Monnaie, Brussels, every Wednesday morning), my French friend selected it, deeming it a “vegetable eaten my hippies around the world”. We (well, she) peeled off the tough outer skin, and shredded it onto our salad. It was nutty and hearty, the exact right counterpart to the shredded fennel. Later on, I had it sliced thin like chips with olive paste and it was exactly perfect.
English cucumbers – these are the long skinny ones, commonly individually shrink-wrapped (huh?). Not as common in the US as their thicker, shorter siblings. The skin on the English cukes is thinner, and usually eaten. Personnally, I find the skin kind of bitter, and don’t love the taste of in when I juice it. But satisfying when eaten in thick slices.
Persimmons – called “Kaki” in French. I know that these are relatively common in the US, I had just never tried one before. My oh my. How delicious. Sweet and buttery, it’s more like candy than fruit. I’ve been eating them plain, just sliced, but could see the day that I’m carrying one around and eating it like an apple.
I am beyond excited to continue my discovery of “new” fruits and vegetables when I get home.
One love,
Marissa
Fennel – I know that this is readily available in NY, but maybe not so common. In Brussels (and France when I’ve been there in the past) it’s all over the place. Steamed, roasted whole, and my favorite - shredded onto salads. It’s been described as kind of licorice-y, but is also sweet and light and crispy.
Kohlrabi – Part of the cabbage family, if you haven’t seen it before. I can get it at the food coop in Park Slope at home, but never have. To me, it always looked like a hard, dirty root vegetable, and I imagined it tasting kind of dull. However, at the farmers market in the courtyard of the Theatre de la Monnaie (Place de le Monnaie, Brussels, every Wednesday morning), my French friend selected it, deeming it a “vegetable eaten my hippies around the world”. We (well, she) peeled off the tough outer skin, and shredded it onto our salad. It was nutty and hearty, the exact right counterpart to the shredded fennel. Later on, I had it sliced thin like chips with olive paste and it was exactly perfect.
English cucumbers – these are the long skinny ones, commonly individually shrink-wrapped (huh?). Not as common in the US as their thicker, shorter siblings. The skin on the English cukes is thinner, and usually eaten. Personnally, I find the skin kind of bitter, and don’t love the taste of in when I juice it. But satisfying when eaten in thick slices.
Persimmons – called “Kaki” in French. I know that these are relatively common in the US, I had just never tried one before. My oh my. How delicious. Sweet and buttery, it’s more like candy than fruit. I’ve been eating them plain, just sliced, but could see the day that I’m carrying one around and eating it like an apple.
I am beyond excited to continue my discovery of “new” fruits and vegetables when I get home.
One love,
Marissa
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Travel Days / Raw in Brussels
Some of the best advice I’ve read about traveling raw is to fast on travel days. I’ve been doing that, fasting until I get to my destination and have time to settle in. It really makes me feel best. Eating on an airplane (even when I bring my own food) makes me gassy and uncomfortable – from the air pressure, the sitting in one position, etc etc. Plus, if I’m fasting, I get the added bonus of not having to search high and wide in an airport for something raw or be tempted to eat what they’re distributing on the plane.
All of my travel days recently have not been long at all, though, so maybe I’ll reconsider on my flight back to NY with the 6 hour layover in Dublin. Interestingly, though, when I booked my Aer Lingus flight online (through the suspiciously named CheapoAirlines.com) a whole menu of inflight meal options came up. There was kosher, low salt, sugar free, non dairy, hindu, vegetarian, vegan and RAW VEGAN! Not sure if this is offered by Aer Lingus or CheapoAirlines, but I’m impressed, I have to say. Of course I chose the raw vegan meal, and will report back about how that worked out.
I’ve found that it’s important to keep food with me for after the fast, once I’m comfortably in the new city. I can’t count how many times in the past I’ve had long travel days, and once I arrive in a city, famished, it takes a frustratingly long time to find something appropriate for me to eat. For all the years that I was vegetarian or vegan and touring the US, I’d arrive into a new city late at night, and the only options were Applebee’s or McDonalds. Or even more challenging, arriving into a tiny European town late at night, where either nothing is open or only the town’s single bistro that exclusively serves pork chops and boiled potatoes.
So, I’ve learned my lesson: Bring snacks. For after. Today I brought with me 4 apples, some trail mix, 2 clementines, a grapefruit and some cut and washed celery. I am sure the people at the x-ray machines thought I was a bit of a nut (or possibly were impressed and inspired) and yeah, my carry-on was heavy but it was worth it when I got into my flat here and could have a couple of apples before we went exploring the city. That way, finding food wasn’t the only thing on my mind, and I could enjoy my surroundings and the beauty of wandering unfamiliar streets.
I did, eventually go to a market to get some food for the week. It was a pretty standard supermarket (by European standards, would have been just a “market” in the US), but had a nice selection of conventional and organic produce. The weirdest thing, though, that all of the organic fruits and vegetables were wrapped in plastic! The bins overflowing with loose oranges and kiwis were conventional, but ALL of the organic stuff was packaged. So weird. For cleanliness? I have no idea. Will have to investigate.
One love,
Marissa
All of my travel days recently have not been long at all, though, so maybe I’ll reconsider on my flight back to NY with the 6 hour layover in Dublin. Interestingly, though, when I booked my Aer Lingus flight online (through the suspiciously named CheapoAirlines.com) a whole menu of inflight meal options came up. There was kosher, low salt, sugar free, non dairy, hindu, vegetarian, vegan and RAW VEGAN! Not sure if this is offered by Aer Lingus or CheapoAirlines, but I’m impressed, I have to say. Of course I chose the raw vegan meal, and will report back about how that worked out.
I’ve found that it’s important to keep food with me for after the fast, once I’m comfortably in the new city. I can’t count how many times in the past I’ve had long travel days, and once I arrive in a city, famished, it takes a frustratingly long time to find something appropriate for me to eat. For all the years that I was vegetarian or vegan and touring the US, I’d arrive into a new city late at night, and the only options were Applebee’s or McDonalds. Or even more challenging, arriving into a tiny European town late at night, where either nothing is open or only the town’s single bistro that exclusively serves pork chops and boiled potatoes.
So, I’ve learned my lesson: Bring snacks. For after. Today I brought with me 4 apples, some trail mix, 2 clementines, a grapefruit and some cut and washed celery. I am sure the people at the x-ray machines thought I was a bit of a nut (or possibly were impressed and inspired) and yeah, my carry-on was heavy but it was worth it when I got into my flat here and could have a couple of apples before we went exploring the city. That way, finding food wasn’t the only thing on my mind, and I could enjoy my surroundings and the beauty of wandering unfamiliar streets.
I did, eventually go to a market to get some food for the week. It was a pretty standard supermarket (by European standards, would have been just a “market” in the US), but had a nice selection of conventional and organic produce. The weirdest thing, though, that all of the organic fruits and vegetables were wrapped in plastic! The bins overflowing with loose oranges and kiwis were conventional, but ALL of the organic stuff was packaged. So weird. For cleanliness? I have no idea. Will have to investigate.
One love,
Marissa
Monday, November 5, 2007
Raw in Vienna
At the last minute, I decided to leave my juicer in Berlin. Not quite enough room in my suitcase, and I figured that juice bars were so plentiful in Berlin, they probably would be similarly common in Vienna, right? Yeah, no such luck. I haven’t found any actual juice bars, nor many vegetarian restaurants with juicers. But I am so so glad that I brought my immersion blender, and have been making green smoothies.
One of the last days in Berlin, I came across a brown wrinkly fruit in the bio store called Maracuja. I had tasted it before in a commercially prepared mango-maracuja smoothie, but didn’t know what it was in English, and didn’t know what it looked like. I bought a few, brought them home and cut them open. They’re filled with edible seeds embedded in a delicious tart slimy goo. I bought some at the giant bio supermarket, Basic (at the Meidlinger Hauptstrasse UBahn station), and the sign there also called them Passifruchte. Aha! This is passionfruit! All these years, I had never known what they looked like. I could have looked it up before, I guess, but kind of liked the idea of some exotic euro-fruit that no one in the US knows about. I did just look it up on wikipedia, which says that there are two types of passion fruit, a smooth yellow grapefruit-looking one, and a wrinkled purple-brown one. The purple-brown one (that I’ve been buying) allegedly has traces of cyanide in it. Hmmm. Apparently it’s only in the skin (which is too tough to eat). Well, I’ve had about 6 in the last week and am just fine.
Aside from the Basic supermarket, I went to a cute vegan / veggie restaurant called BioBar von Antun, on Drahtgasse 3 (next to Judenplatz). I had a lovely greek salad, and a orange/beet/carrot juice. It was way sweet, but tasty. Also, the first time that I’ve ever liked beets in anything.
Off to ride a giant ferris wheel,
One love,
Marissa
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Last day in Berlin
I have to retract my advertisement for the Arugula salad at Borschart – I must have just made up in my head that it was raw. I ordered it last night, and it has parmesan cheese on it, and a probably not raw dressing. But, I also ordered a tomato salad there, and it was fantastic. Juicy plum tomatoes, sliced and sprinkled with diced onions and garlic, with a little sprinkling of salt and pepper. Very simple and delicious.
I had a realization about bread. It has long been my favorite cooked food. Like, since I was a baby, probably. And a couple of days ago, I had eaten raw all day, and then went out for dinner. I had a nice big salad with raw dressing. Feeling great. And the bread on the table looked so fluffy and good that I had a piece. Or 2. Or 3. Or 4. So, a couple of things about this: First, it was not good. It was dry and flavorless (not saying that all bread is, but this definitely was). Second, I am compulsive with food to the effect that I can never eat just one of the food that I am addicted to. And third, I felt horrible all night afterwards, and didn’t go out with the rest of the group after dinner. Like gassy and stomach pain-y.
Somewhere in the back of my head, I had made up that bread is a less-harmful cooked food. I don’t know where I got that from, but clearly it’s not true. I was totally ill. So, that’s it for bread and me for a while.
It’s my last day in Berlin. And I had wanted to have lunch at my favorite restaurant, a Vietnamese place. I had kind of planned it for the last week, knowing full well that it wasn’t raw but what the heck. And then this morning, I woke up and just want to eat raw today. And I am so happy about that. That restaurant will be there another time. Vietnamese food will always be here. But today, instead I choose what makes me feel the best in the long term, short term, and medium term.
Love,
Marissa
I had a realization about bread. It has long been my favorite cooked food. Like, since I was a baby, probably. And a couple of days ago, I had eaten raw all day, and then went out for dinner. I had a nice big salad with raw dressing. Feeling great. And the bread on the table looked so fluffy and good that I had a piece. Or 2. Or 3. Or 4. So, a couple of things about this: First, it was not good. It was dry and flavorless (not saying that all bread is, but this definitely was). Second, I am compulsive with food to the effect that I can never eat just one of the food that I am addicted to. And third, I felt horrible all night afterwards, and didn’t go out with the rest of the group after dinner. Like gassy and stomach pain-y.
Somewhere in the back of my head, I had made up that bread is a less-harmful cooked food. I don’t know where I got that from, but clearly it’s not true. I was totally ill. So, that’s it for bread and me for a while.
It’s my last day in Berlin. And I had wanted to have lunch at my favorite restaurant, a Vietnamese place. I had kind of planned it for the last week, knowing full well that it wasn’t raw but what the heck. And then this morning, I woke up and just want to eat raw today. And I am so happy about that. That restaurant will be there another time. Vietnamese food will always be here. But today, instead I choose what makes me feel the best in the long term, short term, and medium term.
Love,
Marissa
Monday, October 29, 2007
Back on the train
I can’t say enough how much I love the way I feel when I eat raw food. And how much I love it even more when I eat exclusively raw food. Why, then is it so hard for me to actually do that? Since Friday night’s cookedfoodextravaganza, I’ve been having a little (or a lot) of cooked food each day. Saturday night was sushi. Yesterday was chips and pizza(!) at night. Today, pizza for breakfast(!!).
I feel tired and gross, and have 2 new pimples. Awesome.
However, I’m doing a few things to help me out:
I’ve removed all the non-raw food from the flat that I’m staying in.
I’m sitting in a cafe enjoying an organic carrot/celery/ginger juice. Usually, I don’t like ginger so much, but trying to expand my palate, and I now love it in this combination.
Heading to the organic market to load up on fruit and veggies for these last few days in Berlin.
Having a green smoothie before I go out for dinner tonight with friends.
Sad me, I passed by Grasshopper, the juice bar that I like by Hackescher Markt, and it looks like it’s closed permanently! Boo. As far as other juice places: I’m at St. Oberholtz right now, on Torstrasse at Rosenthaler Platz. It has fresh organic juices (not a huge variety, tho), some raw salads, some vegan food, free wi-fi and are playing Bob Dylan right now.
One love,
Marissa
I feel tired and gross, and have 2 new pimples. Awesome.
However, I’m doing a few things to help me out:
I’ve removed all the non-raw food from the flat that I’m staying in.
I’m sitting in a cafe enjoying an organic carrot/celery/ginger juice. Usually, I don’t like ginger so much, but trying to expand my palate, and I now love it in this combination.
Heading to the organic market to load up on fruit and veggies for these last few days in Berlin.
Having a green smoothie before I go out for dinner tonight with friends.
Sad me, I passed by Grasshopper, the juice bar that I like by Hackescher Markt, and it looks like it’s closed permanently! Boo. As far as other juice places: I’m at St. Oberholtz right now, on Torstrasse at Rosenthaler Platz. It has fresh organic juices (not a huge variety, tho), some raw salads, some vegan food, free wi-fi and are playing Bob Dylan right now.
One love,
Marissa
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